Have a friend who was present at the British Consulate meeting in Munich detailing what steps Brits need to take before Brexit kicks in.

Other than the whole applying to be German and the requirements the standout point for me was about driving license.

“British citizens are strongly recommended to change their UK driver’s license to a German Füherschein at their local city offices before Brexit to avoid any issues with driving in Germany after this date (especially in a no deal scenario). The UK license can be returned if the British person ever returns to the UK (as long as the test was originally passed in the UK).”

Might be worth looking into it now, regardless of where you are.

#TuskforPM

Got nothing to do with Brexit, it’s obligatory rules

Obligatory exchange
When living abroad, you will have to exchange your driving licence for a local one:

if your licence is lost, stolen or damaged
after 2 years of usual residence, if you have a driving licence valid for life (only if required by the country where you live)
if you commit a traffic offence in the country where you live

https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/vehicles/driving-licence/driving-licence-renewal-exchange/index_en.htm

though it wouldn’t surprise me if local authoroties start putting the sh!t5 up people.

Got nothing to do with Brexit, it’s obligatory rules

Yup I’ve had to countersign documents for staff working here from the EU.

Any one know whether if you’re a British citizen, but drive under a German / European licence (was British Army on Rhine and on an American base when took test), whether it would now be advisable to seek to get a UK licence?

whether it would now be advisable to seek to get a UK licence?

It was always advisable.

not sure this info is available, but can never harm. I’m in the process of getting all manner of licenses and approvals from my company “just in case”, we may not need them, we may do but it’s better to have now than scrabble at a later date.

after 2 years of usual residence, if you have a driving licence valid for life (only if required by the country where you live)

Germany doesn’t require it or at least don’t enforce the requirement.

I haven’t driven for a few years so never exchanged it, but I need to now, and to be honest it would be handy to carry around an identity document recognized in Germany.

Another Remoaners Project Fear.
Nothing to do with Brexit at aĺl. You are supposed to do it anyway, and have been for many years now.

Who started that story? Tone B Liar?

Project Undeliverable instead?

The point being it may no longer be valid even within the 2 year rule. Given we can barely decide how we’re leaving I dare say nobody has even considered reciprocal agreements WRT licences.

The point being it may no longer be valid even within the 2 year rule. Given we can barely decide how we’re leaving I dare say nobody has even considered reciprocal agreements WRT licences.

Yep that would be the point, even if we decided today there would probably not be enough time to sort it out in the event of it being closer to no deal. So if you want to be OK the real advice should be do everything you can to make sure you are protected and legally compliant with being an non EU citizen.

Nothing to do with Brexit at aĺl. You are supposed to do it anyway, and have been for many years now.

And will it be exchangeable without sitting a test? A Brazilian friend had to sit a test to carry on driving because there is no agreement in place. A bit like what happens when the UK crashes out of the exisiting agreements.

It’s not Project Fear… it’s Project Reality!

It’s the Leaver extremists that are Project Lies and Project Misinformation.

From the German Central Register of Driving Licences…

With the introduction of these classes, in the Member States of the European Union ( EU ) mutual recognition of the EU driving license is mutually exclusive. In principle, this means that there is no obligation to switch even if the domicile is transferred to another Member State

That of course will no longer be applicable to UK Licences on 30/03, unless Germany recognises UK EU format licences issued with dates whilst UK was a member state?

Equivalent for DVLA for licences issued in other EU countries…
Go to “Exchange a foreign driving licence”, click the boxes to say you have a car/bike licence and passed test in EU country, and it says…

“You can drive in Great Britain on a full, valid driving licence from another EU country.
You can drive in Great Britain until you’re 70. If you’re 68 or over when you become resident, you can drive for 3 years.
After this time you must exchange your licence.”

So that’s 2 EU countries, in both directions, no obligation to exhange EU licence.

So Project Reality… unless someone sorts out the mess now, you will have to exchange it (as well as get residence permit, work permit, change nationality, etc. etc.), and it is 100% to do with Brexit.

As Andy says… Reality.

I’ve been in Germany for nigh on 11 years and as some of you may know had some trouble with the police regarding my driving license.

Not once was the fact I was driving in a UK license an issue.

However, it could soon be an issue.

Another bullet point on my ever increasing to-do list.

Already on the case here in Sweden. Apparently a swift and painless process.

I am also applying for a work visa “just in case” as Migrationsverket advised…

hmm maybe i should do it here in Sweden

It’s useful to do if for no other reason than to make sure you get your tickets on time :).  The UK don’t seem to let you register to an address outside the UK

(I’ve done it and it was simply a case of asking, waiting until the new licence was made and then swapping it).

AS above it depends on the country. There’s a good reason for not doing it if you don’t have to. If you have an old license you tend to lose privileges in the changes and go to the lowest level of vehicle categories and need to pass tests to get back up again.

There’s a good reason for not doing it if you don’t have to. If you have an old license you tend to lose privileges in the changes and go to the lowest level of vehicle categories and need to pass tests to get back up again.

I had a pre 97 License with just about everything useful on it, traded that in when I was in Oz, 6 years later came back and I’ve got exactly the same license again with all the same categories.

Makes sense in Spain, at least they make you have a rudimentary medical in order to get the licence. That said, I’ve never got round to it. If you’re stopped and the police know their onions, on the spot fine of a few hundred euros plus the tow away charge as they won’t let drive away. Not many guiris up here though, so the police aren’t on top of it

Made an appointment today to get mine changed. Earliest available was in April 😂

Currently, in Ireland you do not need to swap your UK license for an Irish one. I have used my uk one for the last 20 years. Not sure what will happen after Brexit.

I see the journos have been trawling STw again just been an article on BBC news about this…

When I moved to Germany in 1994, it was pre-EU plastic driving licences and I automatically received a request after 2 years to surrender my UK licence in exchange for a German (pink paper) one. I still have that licence but after about 15 years driving back in the UK I thought maybe I should get a UK one so I simply filled in all my details from my old UK licence (I kept a photocopy) on the online site, paid my £20, and got a new licence in the post. So looks like I am sorted 🙂

I see the journos have been trawling STw again just been an article on BBC news about this…

Did you check the date? I think it was on the front page a couple of days back

We changed our UK licenses for Spanish ones after we’d been her 6 months and it was just a formality.

Tried to advise an old age British woman in Spanish class today that she’d be better swapping hers now rather than after the end of March and she insisted that “no one knows what’s going to happen and probably nothing will change”.

You can’t help some people.

i really hope she’s right

interesting terminology – expats, living abroad.

Do the english ever refer to themselves as immigrants?

I have a place in Alicante and frequent very often Just don’t see the horror, those whom visit will have to go on the UK Government website and download your details before you fly and produce at the car hire together with your normal details and those whom live where I am have applied or already hold a Spanish driving license. What shock and Horror WTF.

Yes, Bigrich

Edukator

Member

I’m an immigrant and economic migrant. I know other immigrants too.
Posted 4 years ago

I’ve also refered to myself as an expat but when temporarily working abroad.

Edukator

Member

A couple of friends have become acquaintances. To be friends you need to share some core values and demonstrate a little tact. For example if you start slagging off economic migrants and your “friend” is an economic migrant (I am) don’t expect the friendship to be quite as close as it previously was. If you consistently insult teachers don’t expect your teacher friends to be as friendly.

The are affinities on this forum, friendships even. I know who I’d happily meet up with for a ride and it might not be the people you’d expect. Friends can be good sparing partners, debate is good, but when “friends” express prejudice, hate and selfishness in large doses it doesn’t really matter if it’s dressed up as political opinion, they become acquaintances.
Posted 2 years ago

Lived and drove in the UK for 20 years on French license. No issues at all. Very handy to avoid points when speeding.
But now need my wife to change her UK license to a French one.

Do the english ever refer to themselves as immigrants

One rule for us, one rule for ‘them’.

Do the english ever refer to themselves as immigrants?

This one does.

interesting terminology – expats, living abroad.

Do the english ever refer to themselves as immigrants?

Yup. Even ‘migrant’ as i’ve lived and worked in a couple of different countries now.

Do the english ever refer to themselves as immigrants?

I usually do.

And changed my license for a Spanish one 15 years ago.

I think of myself as an immigrant, but as a grouping of immigrants who can share information and help each other out (as in the purpose of this thread) I would call us collectively “expats”.

Only posting in case it’s useful.

It’s about the potential need for a green card (proof of car insurance) and international driving permit if we crash out on the 29 th.

HERE

Likewise for forriners living here – swap your EU licence for a nice blue British one.

Ich bin ein Ausländer…. But one of the good ones (mostly).

Of course we’re immigrants /migrants.

I agree with MSP.

Does this mean I’ll need an Internationall driving license for the UK? I can’t see post Brexit British feds being happy with a scruffy bit of French pink cardboard with a photograph of someone clearly 30 years younger on it.

I agree with MSP and Alpin, “expats” for anyone not in the UK on this forum.

The photo card part of a driving licence expires every 10 years or something and needs renewing at a cost and a UK address at which you actually reside to renew. The French driving licence will need renewing I think when I get to older age, but not every 10 years and IIRC not at a cost. The new style french driving licences are similar to the UK photocard bit, bit do not have an accomplishing paper part.

I swapped my pre 2007 UK licence for a french one and automatically retained the grandfather type rights that i had for trucks up to 7.5 t etc. The process to swap does change from department to department with some apparently more painful than others.

I call myself as an immigrant rather than a expat. Expat is in my eyes a very defined case. I frequently remind small minded people that I am an immigrant and they say things like “oh we don’t mean people like you”